Leviticus8
New Living Translation
1Then the Lord said to Moses,
2“Bring Aaron and his sons, along with their sacred garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of bread made without yeast,
3and call the entire community of Israel together at the entrance of the Tabernacle.”
4So Moses followed the Lord’s instructions, and the whole community assembled at the Tabernacle entrance.
5Moses announced to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded us to do!”
6Then he presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.
7He put the official tunic on Aaron and tied the sash around his waist. He dressed him in the robe, placed the ephod on him, and attached the ephod securely with its decorative sash.
8Then Moses placed the chestpiece on Aaron and put the Urim and the Thummim inside it.
9He placed the turban on Aaron’s head and attached the gold medallion—the badge of holiness—to the front of the turban, just as the Lord had commanded him.
10Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, making them holy.
11He sprinkled the oil on the altar seven times, anointing it and all its utensils, as well as the washbasin and its stand, making them holy.
12Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, anointing him and making him holy for his work.
13Next Moses presented Aaron’s sons. He clothed them in their tunics, tied their sashes around them, and put their special head coverings on them, just as the Lord had commanded him.
14Then Moses presented the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bull’s head,
15and Moses slaughtered it. Moses took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on the four horns of the altar to purify it. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. Through this process, he made the altar holy by purifying it.
16Then Moses took all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and he burned it all on the altar.
17He took the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burned it on a fire outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded him.
18Then Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram’s head,
19and Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took the ram’s blood and splattered it against all sides of the altar.
20Then he cut the ram into pieces, and he burned the head, some of its pieces, and the fat on the altar.
21After washing the internal organs and the legs with water, Moses burned the entire ram on the altar as a burnt offering. It was a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.
22Then Moses presented the other ram, which was the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram’s head,
23and Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took some of its blood and applied it to the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot.
24Next Moses presented Aaron’s sons and applied some of the blood to the lobes of their right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet. He then splattered the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar.
25Next Moses took the fat, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh.
26On top of these he placed a thin cake of bread made without yeast, a cake of bread mixed with olive oil, and a wafer spread with olive oil. All these were taken from the basket of bread made without yeast that was placed in the Lord’s presence.
27He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and he lifted these gifts as a special offering to the Lord.
28Moses then took all the offerings back from them and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering. This was the ordination offering. It was a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord.
29Then Moses took the breast and lifted it up as a special offering to the Lord. This was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, just as the Lord had commanded him.
30Next Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, and he sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. In this way, he made Aaron and his sons and their garments holy.
31Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the remaining meat of the offerings at the Tabernacle entrance, and eat it there, along with the bread that is in the basket of offerings for the ordination, just as I commanded when I said, ‘Aaron and his sons will eat it.’
32Any meat or bread that is left over must then be burned up.
33You must not leave the Tabernacle entrance for seven days, for that is when the ordination ceremony will be completed.
34Everything we have done today was commanded by the Lord in order to purify you, making you right with him.
35Now stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle day and night for seven days, and do everything the Lord requires. If you fail to do this, you will die, for this is what the Lord has commanded.”
36So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord had commanded through Moses.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 8.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The consecration of Aaron and his sons. (1–13). The offerings of consecration. (14–36).
vv1-13
The consecration of Aaron and his sons had been delayed until the tabernacle had been prepared, and the laws of the sacrifices given. Aaron and his sons were washed with water, to signify that they ought to purify themselves from all sinful dispositions, and ever after to keep themselves pure. Christ washes those from their sins in his own blood whom he makes kings and priests to our God, Re 1:5, 6; and those that draw near to God must be washed in pure water, Heb 10:22. The anointing of Aaron was to typify the anointing of Christ with the Spirit, which was not given by measure to him. All believers have received the anointing.
vv14-36
In these types we see our great High Priest, even Christ Jesus, solemnly appointed, anointed, and invested with his sacred office, by his own blood, and the influences of his Holy Spirit. He sanctifies the ordinances of religion, to the benefit of his people and the honour of God the Father; who for his sake accepts our worship, though it is polluted with sin. We may also rejoice, that he is a merciful and faithful High Priest, full of compassion to the feeble-minded and tempest-tossed soul. All true Christians are consecrated to be spiritual priests. We should seriously ask ourselves, whether in our daily walk we study to maintain this character? and abound in spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Christ? If so, still there is no cause for boasting. Let us not despise our fellow-sinners; but remembering what we have done, and how we are saved, let us seek and pray for their salvation.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
אַהֲרוֹן: Aharon, the brother of Moses
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
בֶּגֶד: a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillage
מִשְׁחָה: unction (the act); by implication, a consecratory gift
שֶׁמֶן: grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richness
פַּר: a bullock (apparently as breaking forth in wild strength, or perhaps as dividing the hoof)
Cross References
Leviticus 8The original divine command and detailed blueprint for the consecration ritual described here.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The original divine blueprint and instruction for the consecration ritual of Aaron and his sons.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Direct poetic description of the precious anointing oil running down Aaron's head and beard.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament fulfillment showing Jesus suffered outside the gate, typified by burning the bullock outside the camp.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Direct command for placing ram's blood on the right ear, thumb, and great toe.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prescribed instructions for offering the fat, kidneys, and right shoulder of the consecration ram.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Command to sprinkle anointing oil and blood upon Aaron, his sons, and their garments.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The command to seethe the flesh of the consecration ram in the holy place.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Command for the seven-day duration of the consecration ceremony.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament application of the priests' washing with water to believers drawing near to God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Christ washing believers in His blood, making them spiritual kings and priests to God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The direct command for vesting Aaron with the coat, robe, ephod, and breastplate.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The specific instruction to put the mitre and the holy crown upon Aaron's head.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The command to take the anointing oil and pour it on Aaron's head.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The exact legislative instruction being executed for the consecration's sin offering.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identical ritual applying blood to ear, thumb, and toe for cleansing a leper.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Command to burn any remaining consecration flesh or bread that is not eaten.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The detailed recipe and sacred restrictions regarding the holy anointing oil.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prescription for placing the Urim and Thummim inside the high priest's breastplate.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prescription to cleanse and anoint the altar daily to sanctify it.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The divine patterns for the coats, girdles, and bonnets of Aaron's sons.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prior instruction for the presentation and burning of the ram for the burnt offering.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Instruction to cut the ram into pieces and wash its inwards and legs.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament parallel of inward and outward cleansing required to draw near to God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Moses' designated portion of the wave offering from the ram of consecration.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Further legislation regarding the high priest upon whose head the anointing oil was poured.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Seven-day consecration period for the altar in Ezekiel's temple vision.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Matches the pattern of Moses doing precisely as the Lord commanded him.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Christ washing believers from sins in His blood to make them priests.
Supported by Matthew Henry